Fuel injector actuator assemblies and associated methods of use and manufacture

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to integrated injector/igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. One example of such an injectors/igniter can include a body having a base portion opposite a nozzle portion. The base portion receives the fuel into the body and the nozzle portion can be positioned adjacent to the combustion chamber. The injector further includes a valve carried by the nozzle portion that is movable between a closed position and an open position to inject the fuel into the combustion chamber. An actuator is coupled the valve and extends longitudinally through the body towards the base portion, and a driver is carried by the body and is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position the driver does not move the actuator and in the second position the driver moves the actuator to move the valve to the open position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/237,425, filed Aug. 27, 2009 and titledOXYGENATED FUEL PRODUCTION; U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/237,466,filed Aug. 27, 2009 and titled MULTIFUEL MULTIBURST; U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/237,479, filed Aug. 27, 2009 and titled FULL SPECTRUMENERGY; U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/304,403, filed Feb. 13, 2010and titled FULL SPECTRUM ENERGY AND RESOURCE INDEPENDENCE; and U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/312,100, filed Mar. 9, 2010 and titledSYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING HIGH VOLTAGE RF SHIELDING, FOR EXAMPLE,FOR USE WITH A FUEL INJECTOR. The present application is acontinuation-in-part of PCT Application No. PCT/US09/67044, filed Dec.7, 2009 and titled INTEGRATED FUEL INJECTORS AND IGNITERS AND ASSOCIATEDMETHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE. The present application is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application No. 12/653,085, filedDec. 7, 2009 and titled INTEGRATED FUEL INJECTORS AND IGNITERS ANDASSOCIATED METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE; which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application No. 12/006,774 (now U.S.Pat. No. 7,628,137), filed Jan. 7, 2008 and titled MULTIFUEL STORAGE,METERING, AND IGNITION SYSTEM; and which claims priority to and thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/237,466, filed Aug. 27,2009 and titled MULTIFUEL MULTIBURST. The present application is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application No. 12/581,825, filedOct. 19, 2009 and titled MULTIFUEL STORAGE, METERING, AND IGNITIONSYSTEM; which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/006,774 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,137), filed Jan. 7, 2008 and titledMULTIFUEL STORAGE, METERING, AND IGNITION SYSTEM. Each of theseapplications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following disclosure relates generally to integrated fuel injectorsand igniters and associated components for directly injecting andigniting various fuels in a combustion chamber.

BACKGROUND

Fuel injection systems are typically used to inject a fuel spray into aninlet manifold or a combustion chamber of an engine. Fuel injectionsystems have become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotiveengines, having almost completely replaced carburetors since the late1980s. Fuel injectors used in these fuel injection systems are generallycapable of two basic functions. First, they deliver a metered amount offuel for each inlet stroke of the engine so that a suitable air-fuelratio can be maintained for the fuel combustion. Second they dispersethe fuel to improve the efficiency of the combustion process.Conventional fuel injection systems are typically connected to apressurized fuel supply, and the fuel can be metered into the combustionchamber by varying the time for which the injectors are open. The fuelcan also be dispersed into the combustion chamber by forcing the fuelthrough a small orifice in the injectors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an injectorconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional side view of an injector configured inaccordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side partial view of an injector configuredin accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3A is an isometric view of a component of the injector of FIGS. 1Band 2.

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional side view taken substantially along thelines 3B-3B of FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C is cross-sectional side view takensubstantially along the lines 3C-3C of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side partial view of a nozzle portion of aninjector configured in accordance with another embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic illustrations of valve and nozzleassemblies configured in accordance with further embodiments of thedisclosure.

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional side view and FIG. 6B is a partiallyexploded cross-sectional side view of an injector configured inaccordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 6C and 6D are cross-sectional side views illustrating severalfeatures of components of the injector of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

FIG. 6E is a top plan view and FIG. 6F is a side view of a conductiveclamp assembly of the injector of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

FIG. 6G is a partial cross-sectional side view of a nozzle portion ofthe injector of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional side view of an injector configured inaccordance with yet another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7B is an enlarged cross-sectional side partial view of a valveassembly and FIG. 7C is a side view of a valve guide of the injector ofFIG. 7A.

FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional side view taken substantially along thelines 7D-7D of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional side view of an injector configured inaccordance with another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a front plan view of an actuator tensioner of the injector ofFIG. 8A.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional side partial view of a valve actuatingassembly for an injector configured in accordance with anotherembodiment of the disclosure, and FIG. 9B is an enlarged detail view ofa portion of the assembly of FIG. 9A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application incorporates by reference in their entirety thesubject matter of each of the following U.S. patent applications, filedconcurrently herewith on Jul. 21, 2010 and titled: INTEGRATED FUELINJECTORS AND IGNITERS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURESer. No. 12/653,085; INTEGRATED FUEL INJECTORS AND IGNITERS WITHCONDUCTIVE CABLE ASSEMBLIES Ser. No. 12/841,146; SHAPING A FUEL CHARGEIN A COMBUSTION CHAMBER WITH MULTIPLE DRIVERS AND/OR IONIZATION CONTROLSer. No. 12/841,149; CERAMIC INSULATOR AND METHODS OF USE ANDMANUFACTURE THEREOF Ser. No. 12/841,135; METHOD AND SYSTEM OFTHERMOCHEMICAL REGENERATION TO PROVIDE OXYGENATED FUEL, FOR EXAMPLE,WITH FUEL-COOLED FUEL INJECTORS Ser. No. 12/804,509; and METHODS ANDSYSTEMS FOR REDUCING THE FORMATION OF OXIDES OF NITROGEN DURINGCOMBUSTION IN ENGINES Ser. No. 12/804,508.

Overview

The present disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods forproviding a fuel injector configured to be used with multiple fuels andto include an integrated igniter. The disclosure further describesintegrated fuel injection and ignition devices for use with internalcombustion engines, as well as associated systems, assemblies,components, and methods regarding the same. For example, several of theembodiments described below are directed generally to adaptable fuelinjectors/igniters that can optimize the injection and combustion ofvarious fuels based on combustion chamber conditions. Certain detailsare set forth in the following description and in FIGS. 1A-9 to providea thorough understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure.However, other details describing well-known structures and systemsoften associated with internal combustion engines, injectors, igniters,and/or other aspects of combustion systems are not set forth below toavoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of various embodiments ofthe disclosure. Thus, it will be appreciated that several of the detailsset forth below are provided to describe the following embodiments in amanner sufficient to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to makeand use the disclosed embodiments. Several of the details and advantagesdescribed below, however, may not be necessary to practice certainembodiments of the disclosure.

Many of the details, dimensions, angles, shapes, and other featuresshown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particular embodimentsof the disclosure. Accordingly, other embodiments can have otherdetails, dimensions, angles, and features without departing from thespirit or scope of the present disclosure. In addition, those ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that further embodiments ofthe disclosure can be practiced without several of the details describedbelow.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, theoccurrences of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” invarious places throughout this specification are not necessarily allreferring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features,structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments. The headings provided herein are forconvenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of theclaimed disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an integratedinjector/igniter 110 a (“injector 110 a”) configured in accordance withan embodiment of the disclosure. The injector 110 a illustrated in FIG.1A is configured to inject different fuels into a combustion chamber 104a and to be controlled to adaptively adjust the pattern and/or frequencyof the fuel injections or bursts based on combustion properties andconditions in the combustion chamber 104 a. As explained in detailbelow, the injector 110 a and other injectors described herein canoptimize the injected fuel for rapid ignition and complete combustion.In addition to injecting the fuel, the injector 110 a includes one moreintegrated ignition features that are configured to ignite the injectedfuel. As such, the injector 110 a can be utilized to convertconventional internal combustion engines to be able to operate onmultiple different fuels. Although several of the features of theillustrated injector 110 a are shown schematically for purposes ofillustration, several of these schematically illustrated features aredescribed in detail below with reference to various features ofembodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, the relative location,position, size, orientation, etc. of the schematically illustratedcomponents of the injector in FIG. 1A are not intended to limit thepresent disclosure.

In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 110 a includes a casing orbody 112 a having a middle portion 116 a extending between a baseportion 114 a and a nozzle portion 118 a. The nozzle portion 118 aextends at least partially through a port in an engine head 107 a toposition an end portion 119 a of the nozzle portion 118 a at theinterface with the combustion chamber 104 a. The injector 110 a furtherincludes a fuel passage or channel 123 a extending through the body 112a from the base portion 114 a to the nozzle portion 118 a. The channel123 a is configured to allow fuel to flow through the body 112 a. Thechannel 123 a is also configured to allow other components, such as anactuator 122 a, instrumentation components, and/or energy sourcecomponents of the injector 110 a to pass through the body 112 a. Incertain embodiments, the actuator 122 a can be a cable or rod that has afirst end portion that is operatively coupled to a flow control deviceor valve 120 a carried by the end portion 119 a of the nozzle portion118 a. The actuator 122 a can be integral with the valve 120 a or aseparate component that is attached to the valve 120 a. As such, theflow valve 120 a is positioned proximate to the interface with thecombustion chamber 104 a. Although not shown in FIG. 1A, in certainembodiments the injector 110 a can include more than one flow valve, aswell as one or more check valves positioned proximate to the combustionchamber 104 a, as well as at other locations on the body 112 a.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the actuator122 a also includes a second end portion operatively coupled to aplunger or driver 124 a. The second end portion can further be coupledto a controller or processor 126 a. The controller or processor 126 acan be positioned on the injector 110 a or remotely from the injector110 a. As explained in detail below with reference to variousembodiments of the disclosure, the controller 126 a and/or the driver124 a are configured to rapidly and precisely actuate the actuator 122 ato inject fuel into the combustion chamber 104 a via the flow valve 120a. For example, in certain embodiments, the flow valve 120 a can moveoutwardly (e.g., toward the combustion chamber 104 a) and in otherembodiments the flow valve 120 a can move inwardly (e.g., away from thecombustion chamber 104 a) to meter and control injection of the fuel.Moreover, in certain embodiments, the driver 124 a can tension theactuator 122 a to retain the flow valve 120 a in a closed or seatedposition, and the driver 124 a can relax or relieve the tension in theactuator 122 a to allow the flow valve 120 a to inject fuel, and viceversa. The driver 124 a can be responsive to the controller 126 a aswell as other force inducing components (e.g., acoustic, electromagneticand/or piezoelectric components) to achieve the desired frequency andpattern of the injected fuel bursts.

In certain embodiments, the actuator 122 a can include one or moreintegrated sensing and/or transmitting components to detect combustionchamber properties and conditions. For example, the actuator 122 a canbe formed from fiber optic cables, insulated transducers integratedwithin a rod or cable, or can include other sensors to detect andcommunicate combustion chamber data. Although not shown in FIG. 1A, inother embodiments, and as described in detail below, the injector 110 acan include other sensors or monitoring instrumentation located atvarious positions on the injector 110 a. For example, the body 112 a caninclude optical fibers integrated into the material of the body 112 a.In addition, the flow valve 120 a can be configured to sense or carrysensors in order to transmit combustion data to one or more controllersassociated with the injector 110 a. This data can be transmitted viawireless, wired, optical or other transmission mediums to the controller126 a or other components. Such feedback enables extremely rapid andadaptive adjustments for optimization of fuel injection factors andcharacteristics including, for example, fuel delivery pressure, fuelinjection initiation timing, fuel injection durations for production ofmultiple layered or stratified charges, combustion chamber pressureand/or temperature, the timing of one, multiple or continuous plasmaignitions or capacitive discharges, etc.

Such feedback and adaptive adjustment by the controller 126 a, driver124 a, and/or actuator 126 a also allows optimization of outcomes suchas power production, fuel economy, and reduction or elimination offormation pollutive emissions including oxides of nitrogen. U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2006/0238068, which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety, describes suitable drivers for actuatingultrasonic transducers in the injector 110 a and other injectorsdescribed herein.

The injector 110 a can also optionally include an ignition and flowadjusting device or cover 121 a (shown in broken lines in FIG. 1A)carried by the end portion 119 a adjacent to the engine head 107 a. Thecover 121 a at least partially encloses or surrounds the flow valve 120a. The cover 121 a may also be configured to protect certain componentsof the injector 110 a, such as sensors or other monitoring components.The cover 121 a can also act as a catalyst, catalyst carrier and/orfirst electrode for ignition of the injected fuels. Moreover, the cover121 a can be configured to affect the shape, pattern, and/or phase ofthe injected fuel. The flow valve 120 a can also be configured to affectthese properties of the injected fuel. For example, in certainembodiments the cover 121 a and/or the flow valve 120 a can beconfigured to create sudden gasification of the fuel flowing past thesecomponents. More specifically, the cover 121 a and/or the flow valve 120a can include surfaces having sharp edges, catalysts, or other featuresthat produce gas or vapor from the rapidly entering liquid fuel ormixture of liquid and solid fuel. The acceleration and/or frequency ofthe flow valve 120 a actuation can also gasify the injected fuel. Inoperation, this sudden gasification causes the vapor or gas emitted fromthe nozzle portion 118 a to more rapidly and completely combust.Moreover, this sudden gasification may be used in various combinationswith super heating liquid fuels and plasma or acoustical impetus ofprojected fuel bursts. In still further embodiments, the frequency ofthe flow valve 120 a actuation can induce plasma projection tobeneficially affect the shape and/or pattern of the injected fuel. U.S.Pat. No. 4,122,816, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, describes suitable drivers for actuating plasma projection byinjector 110 a and other injectors described herein.

According to another aspect of the illustrated embodiment, and asdescribed in detail below, at least a portion of the body 112 a is madefrom one or more dielectric materials 117 a suitable to enable the highenergy ignition to combust different fuels, including unrefined fuels orlow energy density fuels. These dielectric materials 117 a can providesufficient electrical insulation of the high voltage for the production,isolation, and/or delivery of spark or plasma for ignition. In certainembodiments, the body 112 a can be made from a single dielectricmaterial 117 a. In other embodiments, however, the body 112 a caninclude two or more dielectric materials. For example, at least asegment of the middle portion 116 a can be made from a first dielectricmaterial having a first dielectric strength, and at least a segment ofthe nozzle portion 118 a can be made from a dielectric material having asecond dielectric strength that is greater than the first dielectricstrength. With a relatively strong second dielectric strength, thesecond dielectric can protect the injector 110 a from thermal andmechanical shock, fouling, voltage tracking, etc. Examples of suitabledielectric materials, as well as the locations of these materials on thebody 112 a, are described in detail below.

In addition to the dielectric materials, the injector 110 a can also becoupled to a power or high voltage source to generate the ignition eventto combust the injected fuels. The first electrode can be coupled to thepower source (e.g., a voltage generation source such as a capacitancedischarge, induction, or piezoelectric system) via one or moreconductors extending through the injector 110 a. Regions of the nozzleportion 118 a, the flow valve 120 a, and/or the cover 121 a can operateas a first electrode to generate an ignition event (e.g., spark, plasma,compression ignition operations, high energy capacitance discharge,extended induction sourced spark, and/or direct current or highfrequency plasma, in conjunction with the application of ultrasound toquickly induce, impel, and complete combustion) with a correspondingsecond electrode of the engine head 107 a. As explained in detail below,the first electrode can be configured for durability and long servicelife. In still further embodiments of the disclosure, the injector 110 acan be configured to provide energy conversion from combustion chambersources and/or to recover waste heat or energy via thermochemicalregeneration to drive one or more components of the injector 110 a fromthe energy sourced by the combustion events.

The features of the injector 110 a described above with reference toFIG. 1A can be included in any of the embodiments described below withreference to FIGS. 1B-9.

Additional Embodiments of Integrated Fuel Injectors and Igniters andAssociated Components

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional side view of an injector 100 configured inaccordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, that includes combinedfuel injection and ignition features. As described in detail below, theillustrated embodiment of the injector 100 includes an electromagneticactuator assembly and corresponding valve assembly that provide a ruggedand versatile yet mechanically eloquent assembly for precisely meteringfuel to achieve the desired fuel flow characteristics. In theillustrated embodiment, the injector 100 includes several features thatare generally similar in structure and function to the correspondingfeatures of the injector 110 a described above with reference to FIG.1A. For example, the injector 100 includes a nozzle portion 102 oppositea base portion 104. The nozzle portion 102 is configured to at leastpartially extend through a port in an engine head to position the end ofthe nozzle portion 102 at an interface with a combustion chamber. Asdescribed in detail below, the base portion 104 is configured to receiveone or more fuels from a fuel source (e.g., a pressurized fuel source),and the nozzle portion 102 is configured to deliver and/or preciselymeter the fuel into the combustion chamber through a fuel exit passage103.

In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 100 includes a forcegenerator 106 that actuates a plunger or driver 108 to in turn move avalve assembly 110. The force generator 106 is positioned within abobbin or housing 109, such as a conductive metallic casing. Suitablematerials for the force generator bobbin or housing 109 include, forexample, beryllia and various graphite, silver, and/or aluminum-filledpolymers that are designed to enhance heat transfer. The force generator108 and/or the housing 109 can also be coupled to voltage source orother suitable energy source 111, as well as a controller. In certainembodiments, the force generator 106 can be solenoid winding that is anelectromagnetic force generator, a piezoelectric force generator, orother suitable type of force generator for moving the driver 108.

The valve assembly 110 includes an actuator 112 (e.g., a cable,stiffened cable, rod, valve extension, etc.) having a flow valve 114 atthe nozzle portion 102, and an actuator stop 116 at the base portion 104opposite the nozzle portion 102. In certain embodiments, the flow valve114 can be integrally formed with the actuator 112. In otherembodiments, however, the flow valve 114 can be separate from andattached to the actuator 112. Moreover, in certain embodiments the stop116 can be a wire, such as a constrictive spring wire, that is attachedto the second end portion of the actuator 112. For example, the stop 116can be at least partially embedded in an annular groove in the actuator112, the annular groove having a depth of at least approximately 50% ofthe diameter of the motion stop 116. In other embodiments, however, thestop 116 and other actuator stops disclosed herein can be any other typeof protrusion on the actuator 112 that is attached to or integrallyformed with the actuator 112. Moreover, in still further embodiments,the stop 116 can be an attractive element, such as a magnet or permanentmagnet. The stop 116 is positioned on the actuator 112 to contact acontact surface 113 of the driver 108 when the force generator 106actuates the driver 108 to move the actuator 112 and consequently openthe flow valve 114.

In the closed position the flow valve 114 rests against a valve seat 122in the nozzle portion 102. In certain embodiments, the surface of theflow valve 114 that contacts the valve seat 122 can be a generallyspherical or conical surface that is fine finished or polished forsealing against the valve seat 122. The nozzle portion 102 can alsoinclude a biasing or attractive element 124, such as a magnet, permanentmagnet, etc., that attracts the driver 108 towards the nozzle portion102 to at least partially retain the valve 114 in the closed positionagainst the valve seat 122. For example, the attractive element 124 canbe coupled to a controller or computer and selectively attract thedriver 108 towards the nozzle portion 102. In other embodiments,actuation of the driver 108 can overcome the attractive force of theattractive element 124. As described in detail below, the valve 114 canalso be retained in the closed position with other biasing componentsand/or fuel pressure within the injectors 100.

The driver 108 is positioned in a driver cavity 118 in the injector 100to allow the driver 108 to move longitudinally through the injector 100in response to excitation from the force generator 106. Moreover, theactuator 112 is positioned in an actuator cavity or opening 120extending longitudinally through the driver 108. The actuator opening120 thereby allows the driver 108 to move longitudinally in the injector100 with reference to the actuator 112 until the driver 108 contacts theactuator stop 116. In the illustrated embodiment, the driver 108 alsoincludes a fuel cavity 126 extending longitudinally therethrough andspaced radially apart from the actuator opening 120. The fuel cavity 126is fluidly coupled to a fuel passageway or channel 128 in the baseportion 104. The fuel channel 128 is also coupled to a fuel conduit 136,which is in turn coupled to a fuel source, such as a pressurized fuelsource. In certain embodiments, the fuel conduit 136 can include a fuelfilter 142 configured to filter or otherwise condition the fuel prior toentering the body of the injector 100.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 104 also includes abiasing member 130 (e.g., a spring such as a coiled compression spring)positioned in the fuel channel 128. The biasing member 130 contacts afirst biasing surface 132 of the driver 108, as well as a second biasingsurface 134 of the fuel channel 128. In this manner, the biasing member130 urges the driver 108 towards the nozzle portion 102 to retain theactuator 112 and corresponding flow valve 114 in the closed position.

The force generator housing 109 is coupled to a first end cap 137 at thebase portion 104, and a second end cap 138 at the nozzle portion 102.The housing 109 can be attached (e.g., hermetically sealed viasoldering, brazing, welding, structurally adhesive sealing, etc.) toeach of the first and second end caps 137, 138 to prevent fuel fromescaping form the injector 100. Seals 140, such as o-rings, can also beused to maintain a fluid tight connection between the housing 109 andthe first and second end caps 137, 138.

According to another aspect of the illustrated embodiment, an endportion 144 of the driver 108 in the base portion 104 has a generallyconical or frustoconical shape. More specifically, the end portion 144of the driver 108 has an outer end surface 146 that has a generallyconical or frustoconical shape. The outer end surface 146 of the driver108 is spaced apart from a corresponding contact surface 148 of thefirst end cap 137 having a matching contour or shape. When the flowvalve 114 is in the closed position against the valve seat 122 and thedriver 108 is in a relaxed or non-actuated state, the outer end surface146 is spaced apart from the contact surface 148 of the end cap 137 by afirst distance D₁. In addition, at this position the contact surface 113of the driver 108 is spaced apart from the stop 116 on the actuator 112by a second distance D₂. The second distance D₂ accordingly allows thedriver 108 to gain momentum before striking the stop 116 of the actuator112. For example, the first distance D₁ is the total distance that thedriver 108 travels to move the flow valve 114 via the actuator 112 toopen the flow valve 114. More specifically, first distance D₁ is atleast approximately equal to the second distance D₂ plus the distancethat the flow valve 114 moves to be sufficiently spaced apart from thevalve seat 122 to inject the fuel into the combustion chamber. In oneembodiment, the second distance D₂ can be between approximately 10% to40% of the first distance D₁. In other embodiments, however, the seconddistance D₂ can be less than 10% or greater than 40% of first distanceD₁. In still other embodiments, the second distance D2 can be eliminatedfrom the injector 100 such that the driver 108 contacts the actuatorstop 116 when the valve is in the closed position.

In operation, the fuel conduit 136 introduces fuel through the fuelfilter 142 into the base portion 104 of the injector 100. As the fuelflows through the injector 100, a controller can precisely power theforce generator 106 to actuate the driver 108, which in turn moves theactuator 112 to lift the flow valve 114 off of the valve seat 122 (i.e.,to move the flow valve 114 inwardly). The actuated driver 108 canaccordingly overcome the biasing force of the biasing member 130 and/orthe attractive element 124 to move away from the nozzle portion 102.Moreover, the illustrated embodiment allows for operation of the flowvalve 114 at relatively high pressure differentials by allowing thedriver 1308 to gain considerable momentum and associated kinetic energywhile moving the second distance D₂ prior to impacting the actuator stop116 to move the valve 114. As such, the driver 108 can overcome aconsiderable pressure gradient to move the flow valve 114. Inembodiments where the second distance D₂ is eliminated, the driver 108can directly or instantly move the actuator 112 in response to currentflow in the force generator 106.

Interruption of the current in the force generator 106 in response tothe controller allows fuel flow and the resulting pressure, the biasingmember 130, and/the or attractive element 124 to urge or force thedriver 108 to the normally closed position, which in turn allows theflow valve 114 to return to the normally closed position. For example, adistal end portion of the driver 108 can contact or otherwise move theflow valve 114 to the closed position on the valve seat 122. Subsequentapplication of current to the force generator 106 can move the driver108 to contact the actuator 112 and again move or lift the valve 114 offthe valve seat 122 to inject fuel into the combustion chamber.

In addition to filtering particles and debris from the fuel, the filter142 at the base portion 104 can also function as a catalytic processorfor preventing any monatomic or ionic hydrogen from further passage intothe injector 100, including into the fuel channel 128, which houses thebiasing member 130. This purpose is supported by the finding that steelalloys do not become embrittled by diatomic hydrogen (H₂) even thoughexposure to monatomic hydrogen and ionic hydrogen, as may be encounteredduring welding operations, in acidic environments, and during metalplating operations, causes degradation and embrittlement of such alloys.Accordingly, the filter 142 can prevent the adverse degradation of thebiasing member 130 by hydrogen embrittlement. Equations F1 and F2 belowsummarize the elimination of the hydrogen ions and atomic hydrogen bythe catalytic action of the filter 142.2H⁺+2e ⁻→H₂  Equation F12H→H₂  Equation F2

In the process of Equation F1, electrons are supplied by grounding theinjector 100 to an electron source via the metallic fuel conduit 136.Electrons may also be supplied for accomplishing the process of EquationF1 by grounding one end of force generator 106 to the conductive housing109. Nucleation of diatomic hydrogen from monatomic hydrogen can beassured by various agents and compounds, including for example, oxidessuch as zinc oxide, tin oxide, chromia, alumina, and silica that may beincorporated in the filter 142 as fibers and/or particles includingsurfaces of substrates such as aluminum and/or aluminum-silicon alloys.Such fibers, particles, and/or other suitable forms made of metalsand/or alloys such as aluminum, magnesium, or zinc can also serve ascatalysts in the filter 142. Similarly chemical vapor deposition and/orsputtered deposits of these metals on various substrates, followed bypartial oxidation, can be positioned in the filter 142 to providecatalytic processing as summarized by Equations F1 and F2. Fuels thatprovide oxidizing potential, such as “oxygenated” fuels that containwater vapor that enables self-healing of such metal oxides, as describedin U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/237,425 title OXYGENATEDFUEL PRODUCTION, filed Aug. 27, 2009. In embodiments where high strengthalloy materials, such as music wire, spring steel,precipitation-hardened (PH) steel, or a chrome-silicon steel alloy, areselected for the biasing member 130, additional protection may also beprovided by plating the biasing member 130 with protective metals suchas aluminum. For example, the biasing member 130 can be plated with anysuitable plating methods including, for example, hot dip, electrolytic,chemical vapor, and/or sputtering processes.

The injector 100 of the illustrated embodiment is also capable ofdispensing very high pressure fuels, including hydrogen-characterizedfuels that are produced as mixtures of methane from anaerobic digestion,thermal dissociation, or natural gas sources, as well as hydrogenproduced by electrolysis, pyrolysis, or reformation of selectedhydrocarbons. Such pressurized fuels, such as 10,000 psi hydrogen,methane, ammonia, or other hydrogen characterized mixtures can besupplied to the injector 100 and precisely metered by the injector 100to achieve desired fuel bursts.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the driver108 is proportioned as a relatively long component in the injector 100.More specifically, the longitudinal length of the driver 108 and thecorresponding longitudinal length of the force generator 106 may beseveral times larger than the diameter of driver 108. This can allow orotherwise facilitate cooling of these components by fuel that is flowingthrough the injector 100. More specifically, the fuel flowing thoughtthe injector 100 can cool the driver 108 and/or force generator 106. Forexample, as fuel flows along a fuel channel or passage 113 extendinglongitudinally along the injector 100, as well as through the driver 108in the fuel bore or cavity 126, and/or around the driver 108 in a secondfuel bore or passageway 150 in the driver cavity 118 generallysurrounding the driver 108, the fuel can absorb heat from the driver108. This is advantageous in many applications in modern overhead valveengines that virtually eliminate the opportunity to reject heat to theexterior surroundings of the injector because the temperature of theenvironment around and/or under the engine's valve cover generallyapproaches the operating limit of polymer compounds that insulate themagnet wire in the force generator 106.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side partial view of an injector 200configured in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure. Theinjector 200 includes several features that are generally similar instructure and function to the corresponding features of the injector 100illustrated in FIG. 1B and other injectors disclosed herein. Forexample, the injector 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes the fuelconduit 136, the force generator 106, the driver 108, and thecorresponding actuator 112 and associated flow valve 114. Theillustrated injector 200 also includes a biasing or attractive element212 (e.g., a ring magnet or a permanent ring magnet) to attract or forcethe driver 108 to the normally closed position. The valve 114 can alsoinclude a seal 218, such as a ring-like elastomeric seal or o-ring, forapplications in which bubble free sealing is desired at the valve 114and when utilizing fuels that may precipitate or otherwise source solidparticles.

In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 200 further includes severaladditional fuel flow paths or channels that direct the fuel throughvarious components of the injector 200 to allow the fuel to contactsurfaces of these components and cool or otherwise transfer heat fromthese components to the fuel. More specifically, for cooling the forcegenerator 106 (which may include multiple solenoid windings) in theillustrated embodiment, the injector 200 includes a first fuel coolingpassage 202 coupled between the fuel conduit 136 and an inletdistributor 204 (e.g., an annular or ring-like distributor) at the forcegenerator 106. The inlet distributor 204 disperses the fuel into thehousing 109 around the force generator 106 through multiple inlet vents206. The injector 200 also includes multiple outlet vents 208 to allowthe fuel to exit the force generator 106 and collect at an outletdistributor or collector 210 (e.g., an annular or ring-likedistributor). A second fuel cooling passage 212 extends from the outletdistributor 210 to fuel channel 214. As the valve 114 opens, the fuelcan exit the injector 200 by passing from the fuel channel 214 to thefuel exit passage 103.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the injector200 also includes additional fuel passages 216 extending radiallyoutwardly to allow the fuel to pass between the force generator 106 andthe driver 108. For example, these fuel passages 216 fluidly couple thefuel bore 150 in the driver cavity 118 with the housing 109 encompassingthe force generator 106. As such, during operation the fuel can alsopass radially outwardly and/or radially inwardly to transfer heat fromthe components of the injector 200, such as the force generator 106 andthe driver 108, for example.

In certain embodiments, such as four stroke engine applications, theperiod during which fuel injection occurs typically ranges from about30° to 120° of every other crank rotation of a complete cycle (e.g.,720°). Longitudinal fuel cavities 126 and 113 (FIG. 1) can accordinglyprovide for rapid cooling of the driver 108, particularly during theperiod ranging from approximately 30° to 120° of the crank rotation. Assuch, the driver 108 can serve as an internal heat sink to receive heatrejected from solenoid coil or force generator 106. Additional heat canalso be rejected from the force generator 106 to fuel circulatingthrough the various fuel distributors and passageways 204, 206, 208, and216. Accordingly, during the 690° to 720° period of crank rotation whendriver 108 and valve 114 are in the normally closed position, the forcegenerator 106 can be provided with superior heat rejection capabilitiesto assure efficient rapid action and long life.

Such heat transfer from the components of the injectors 100, 200 can bebeneficially added to the fuel that is delivered to the combustionchamber instead of being lost to the environment. Similarly, energyharvesting by thermoelectric, photovoltaic, vibrational and pressurepiezoelectric generators is facilitated by such heat transfer to fuelpassing through these injector embodiments with such heat sinkingcapabilities. Such heat transfer is also beneficial for long life,minimization of friction, and rapid operation to adequately cool theforce generator 106 and driver 108. Transferring heat to the fuel thatflows through the force generator 106 components and related featuresallows low cost modular component assemblies including the forcegenerator 106 to be incorporated within thermally insulating glass orpolymers.

FIG. 3A is an isometric view of the driver 108, FIG. 3B is across-sectional side view taken substantially along the lines 3B-3B ofFIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C is cross-sectional side view taken substantiallyalong the lines 3C-3C of FIG. 3A illustrating several of the features ofthe driver 108. Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C together, the driver 108includes a body 301 with the actuator opening 120 extending centrallyand longitudinally therethrough. The actuator opening 120 is configuredto movably receive the actuator 112 of FIG. 1B. The body 301 alsoincludes the initial fuel channel 128 that is fluidly coupled to one ormore fuel cavities 126 (e.g., first-sixth fuel cavities 126 a-126 fillustrated in FIG. 3C) spaced radially apart from the actuator opening120. The fuel cavities 126 extending longitudinally through the driver108 to allow fuel to flow therethrough while contacting the body 301.Although the driver 108 includes six fuel cavities 126 that aresymmetrically spaced apart in the illustrated embodiment, in otherembodiments the driver can have more or less fuel cavities 126 that arepositioned in symmetrical or nonsymmetrical distribution patterns. Anexterior surface of the body 301 also includes multiple ridges 304 (FIG.3C) to allow the fuel to flow around the driver 108 within the drivercavity 118 (FIG. 1B).

According to yet another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the body301 of the driver 108 includes a slot or slit 302 extending radiallyoutwardly from one of the fuel cavities 128. In certain embodiments, theslit 302 can be a generally straight slit or slot that extends radiallyoutwardly from the actuator opening 120. In other embodiments, however,the slit 302 can have a generally curved or spiral shape. The slit 302is configured to be a material discontinuity in at least a portion ofthe body 301 of the driver 108 to prevent eddy currents from forming inthe driver 108 during operation. Such eddy currents can also beprevented by forming the driver 108 from a ferromagnetic alloy with ahigh electrical resistance.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side partial view of a nozzle portion 402 ofan injector configured in accordance with another embodiment of thedisclosure. The nozzle portion 402 includes several features that aregenerally similar in structure and function to the correspondingfeatures of the injectors described above. As described in detail below,however, the nozzle portion 402 is configured to actuate or otherwiseinject fuel into a combustion chamber when a predetermined or desiredpressure gradient to the combustion chamber is reached. Such a pressuregradient can be referred to, for example, as a cracking pressure that issufficient to open the flow valve that is normally biased towards aclosed position. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the nozzleportion 402 includes an outwardly opening flow valve 441 that contacts avalve seat 422 when the flow valve 441 is in the closed position. Thevalve 441 is coupled to an actuator 412 (e.g., a cable, rod, etc.)extending into a fuel passageway 426. The actuator 412 includes an endportion or stop 431 that engages a biasing member 430 (e.g., acompression spring). In the illustrated embodiment, the stop 431 is anintegral portion of the actuator 412, such as a deformed end portion. Inother embodiments, however, the stop 431 can be a separate piece that isattached to the actuator 412. The biasing member 430 contacts the stop431 and tensions the actuator 412 to retain the valve 441 in the closedposition contacting the valve seat 422.

During operation, as the pressure of the fuel in the fuel passageway 426increases to the predetermined cracking pressure, the pressure exertedagainst the valve 441 overcomes the force of the biasing member 430 tothereby open the flow valve 441 and inject the fuel into the combustionchamber. After the nozzle portion 402 injects the fuel and the pressuredrops in the fuel passageway 426, the biasing member 430 provides asufficient closing force by urging the flow valve 441 to the closedposition via the stop 431 on the actuator 412. In certain embodiments,the actuation of the flow valve 441 described above can be controlledsolely by controlling the pressure of the fuel in the nozzle portion402. In other embodiments, however, the nozzle portion 402 can controlthe actuation of the flow valve 441 via the fuel pressure in combinationwith one or more other drivers or force generators (e.g., magnets,permanent magnets, electromagnetic solenoids, piezoelectric generators,etc.) The desired cracking pressures can be adaptively selectedaccording to monitored combustion chamber properties and fuelcharacteristics. Moreover, the flow valve 441 and/or the actuator 412can house one or more optical fibers or other monitoring components tomonitor these properties in the combustion chamber.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the nozzleportion 402 includes an electrode 408 adjacent to the flow valve 441. Assuch, the electrode 408 and flow valve 441 are configured to produce anignition event to combust the fuel that the nozzle portion 402 injectsinto the combustion chamber. In certain embodiments, the electrode 408and/or the flow valve 441 can be coated or otherwise formed frommaterials that serve as combustion initiation catalysts to reduce oreliminate the ignition event energy required for combustion (e.g., sparkor plasma energy) of the fuel entering the combustion chamber. A furtheralternative to such coatings is controlling the ionization of theinjected fuel, as discloses in U.S. patent application titled SHAPING AFUEL CHARGE IN A COMBUSTION CHAMBER WITH MULTIPLE DRIVERS AND/ORIONIZATION CONTROL Ser. No. 12/841,149, filed concurrently herewith andincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic illustrations of valve and nozzleassemblies configured in accordance with further embodiments of thedisclosure. More specifically, FIG. 5A is a schematic illustration of ahydraulic circuit 500 a illustrating a hydraulically actuated valveassembly 501. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve assembly 501includes a valve 502 that is coupled to each of a hydraulic actuator 506and a nozzle end portion or tip 504. The actuator 506 can accordinglyhydraulically move, activate, or otherwise open the valve 502 to allowfuel to flow past the valve 502 and exit the nozzle tip 504 into acombustion chamber. FIG. 5B is a schematic illustration of an electricalcircuit 500 b for electrically or electromagnetically actuating thevalve 502. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve assembly 501 alsoincludes the valve 502 that is coupled to each of an electric orelectromagnetic actuator 506 and a nozzle 504. The actuator 506 caninclude an electromagnetic solenoid or piezoelectric operated assemblythat can accordingly electrically actuate the valve 502 to open orotherwise move the valve 502 to allow the fuel to flow through thenozzle tip 504 into the combustion chamber. According to a furtherfeature of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5B, the nozzle tip 504 canbe made of a conductive material and also be coupled to an energysource, such as a high voltage source, to generate an ignition eventwith corresponding grounded ignition features 508. As such, sparkvoltage can be delivered to the nozzle tip 504 to generate an ignitionevent.

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional side view of an injector 600 and FIG. 6B ispartially exploded cross-sectional side view of the injector 600configured in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure,which can include several of the features illustrated in the schematiccircuits of FIGS. 5A and 5B, as well as the features of the othercombined injectors and igniters disclosed herein. Referring to FIGS. 6Aand 6B together, the injector 600 includes a base portion 602 opposite anozzle end portion 604. The base portion 602 carries an actuatorassembly 606 including a plunger or driver 610 positioned in an actuatorcavity 609 of an actuator body 607. The actuator assembly 606 furtherincludes a force generator 608 surrounding the driver 610 and acorresponding flow valve 614 in the actuator cavity 609 (FIG. 6A). Theforce generator 608 can be a solenoid (e.g., electromagnetic orpiezoelectric) or other suitable winding that can be coupled to anenergy source via coupling 616. A biasing member 612 urges the driver610 and corresponding flow valve 614 towards the nozzle portion 604 in anormally closed position. The force generator 608 can accordingly inducemovement of the driver 610 away from the nozzle portion 604 to at leastpartially compress the biasing member 612 and move the flow valve 614 toan open position an allow fuel to flow through a fuel passageway 615.

The base portion 602 also includes an extension 617 having anintroductory fuel passage 619 (FIG. 6A) therein that introduces fuelinto the actuator cavity 609. A pressure coupling 603 can be attached tothe extension 617 to further adjust the pressure of the fuel that flowsinto the injector 600.

In the illustrated embodiment the injector 600 includes a firstinsulator 618 and a second insulator 620 that surround variouscomponents of the injector 600. More specifically, the driver 610 is atleast partially positioned (e.g., molded) in the first insulator 618.The first insulator 618 and/or the second insulator 620 can be made fromany suitable insulating material including, for example, a glass,glass-ceramic, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene (THV),polyamideimide (PAI), polyetheretherkeytone (PEEK) or polyetherimide(PEI) insulator. In still further embodiments, these insulators can betransparent insulating bodies to accommodate embedded photo-opticalinstrumentation that receives and/or analyzes radiation emitted from thecombustion chamber. Moreover, these insulators, as well as otherinsulative components of the injectors disclosed herein, can include thematerials and/or be formed from the processes disclosed in U.S. patentapplication titled CERAMIC INSULATOR AND METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURETHEREOF Ser. No. 12/841,135, filed concurrently herewith andincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional side view illustrating several features ofthe first insulator 618. Referring to FIG. 6C, the first insulator 618includes a base or first end portion 651 opposite a nozzle or second endportion 653. The first end portion 651 includes an actuator cavity 650having a generally conical end portion 652 that is configured to receivethe driver 610 (FIG. 6A). The first insulator 618 also includes a valveseat 654 that is configured to contact the valve 614 (FIG. 6A) when thevalve 614 is in the closed position to interrupt fuel flow. A fuelchannel 656 extends longitudinally through the first insulator 618 fromthe actuator cavity 650 through the second end portion 653. As alsoexplained in detail below, the second end portion 653 is configured tobe coupled to an electrically conductive nozzle tip portion of theinjector 600.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the exteriorsurface of the first insulator 618 includes multiple ribs 658 extendingcircumferentially around the first end portion 651. Moreover, theexterior surface of the second end portion 653 is generally smooth orplanar and extends having a generally conical or frustoconical shape. Asdescribed in detail below, the second end portion 653 of the firstinsulator 618 is configured to mate or otherwise fit in a correspondingcavity in the second insulator 620. Moreover, a conductive coil 623(FIGS. 6A and 6B), such as a transformer coil, can be wound around theexterior surface of the second end portion 653 of the first insulator618 and thereby be positioned between the first insulator 618 and thesecond insulator 620 in the assembled state.

FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional side view of the second insulator 620. Thesecond insulator 620 includes a base or first end portion 661 opposite anozzle or second end portion 663. The first end portion 661 includes afirst cavity portion 660 having a generally conical shape taperingnarrowly towards the second end portion 663 (e.g., a cross-sectionaldimension of the first cavity portion 660 gets smaller towards thesecond end portion 663). The first cavity portion 660 is configured toreceive the tapered second end portion 653 of the first insulator 618.The second end portion 663 of the second insulator 620 includes a secondcavity portion 662 opposite and extending from the first cavity portion660. The second cavity portion 662 also has a generally conical shape,however the second cavity portion 660 tapers narrowly towards the baseportion 661 (e.g., a cross-section dimension of the second cavity 662that gets larger towards the second end portion 663, thereby tapering inan opposite direction of the first cavity portion 660). The secondcavity portion 662 is configured to at least partially surround anelectrically conductive injection tip of the injector 600, as describedin detail below.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the exteriorsurface of the first end portion 661 of the second insulator 620includes multiple ribs 664 extending circumferentially around the firstend portion 661. These ribs 664 are configured to match or otherwise begenerally aligned with the ribs 658 of the first insulator 618 (FIG.6C).

Referring again to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the injector 600 includes anelectrically conductive injection end portion or nozzle injection tip621. The injection tip 621 can be a metallic member that is carried bythe first insulator 618 and/or second insulator 620 and configured to bepositioned at a combustion chamber interface. As described in detailbelow, the injection tip 621 is configured to selectively inject fuel,alone or in combination with the other fuel metering components of theinjector 600. Moreover, the injection tip 621 is coupled to an energysource, such as a high voltage source. More specifically, the injector600 includes a conductive band 625 (e.g., a metallic band) extendingcircumferentially around the interface between the first insulator 618and the second insulator 620. The conductive band 625 can be coupled toa voltage source via a conductor or spark lead as described below withreference to FIGS. 6E and 6F. For example, FIG. 6E is a top plan viewand FIG. 6F is a side view of a conductive clamp assembly 630 includingthe conductive band 625 coupled to a spark or voltage lead 632. Theclamp assembly 630 also includes a releasable locking member 634 tofacilitate attachment and removal of the conductive band 625 on theinjector 600. The clamp assembly 630 can accordingly removably couplethe conductive band 625 and the voltage lead 632 to the injector 600 ofFIGS. 6A and 6B. More specifically, and referring to FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6E,and 6F together, the clamp assembly 630 can be attached to a mid-portionof the injector 600 at an interface between the first insulator 618 andthe second insulator 620 to conductively couple the voltage lead 632 tothe spiral wound conductor 623 via the conductive band 625.

As such, the conductive band 625 is coupled to the injection tip 621 viathe conductor 623, which can be an aluminum or copper wire extendingalong the second end portion 653 of the first insulator 618 to theinjection tip 621. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, theconductor 623 is spirally wound around the second end portion 653 of thefirst insulator 618 and positioned between the first insulator 618 andthe second insulator 620. Spark voltage can accordingly be delivered tothe injection tip 621 from a suitable high voltage source.

Referring again to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the nozzle portion 604 furtherincludes a combustion chamber member or seal 622 coupled to the secondinsulator 620. The combustion chamber seal 622 can be a metallic memberthat is configured to threadably engage a port in an engine head withmultiple threads 624. The seal 622 also carries corresponding ignitionelectrodes or features 626 (identified individually as a first ignitionfeature 626 a and a second ignition feature 626 b). Although only twoignition features 626 are shown in the illustrated embodiment, in otherembodiments the seal 622 can carry multiple ignition features suitableto provide the spark erosion life desired for any specific application.In certain embodiments, the ignition features 626 can be made frommaterials such as a Kanthal alloy that provides for resistance heated,catalytic, and/or spark ignition at startup but thereafter remainssufficiently hot throughout the operational cycle to provide ignitionwith very low or no electrical energy expenditure. This form of heatharvesting for ignition by taking heat from the combustion process canbe advantageous for purposes of minimizing the system weight, cost, andfailure tendency, while also improving the overall operating efficiencyby avoiding the losses, such as losses that can be attributed to theengine-cycle (55 to 75% loss), the alternator (10 to 30% loss), thebattery (10 to 40% loss), and the ignition circuit and coil (10 to 40%loss).

In certain embodiments of the disclosure, the cracking pressure requiredto open a flow valve to selectively deliver fuel into the combustionchamber can be controlled by the various configurations of the forcegenerators, drivers, actuators, flow valves, etc. disclosed herein. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, however, the injectiontip 621 also includes several fuel metering features that can also helpto prevent injecting fuel into the combustion chamber at unintendedtimes. For example, FIG. 6G is a partial cross-sectional side view ofthe nozzle portion 604 of the injector 600. As shown in FIG. 6G, theinjection tip 621 is coupled to the lead wire or conductor 623, which issealed between the first insulator 618 and the second insulator 620 (notshown in FIG. 6G) and coupled to a voltage source.

As shown in FIG. 6G, the injection tip 621 includes a fuel cavity 670extending partially longitudinally therethrough. The fuel cavity 670 isfluidly coupled to the fuel channel 656 of the first insulator 618 tointroduce fuel into the injection tip 621. In the illustratedembodiment, however, the fuel cavity 670 does not exit the injection tip621 at a distal end portion 671 of the injection tip 621 (e.g., the fuelcavity 670 can be a blind hole extending partially through the injectiontip 621). Rather, the injection tip includes multiple fuel exit ordelivery passageways 672 that are coupled to the fuel cavity 670. In theillustrated embodiment the individual fuel delivery passageways 672extend from the fuel cavity 670 at an inclined angle with reference to alongitudinal axis of the injection tip 621. The injection tip 621 isfurther at least partially covered with a sleeve 674, such as adeformable or an elastomeric sleeve 674, that seals each of the fueldelivery passageways 672 below a predetermined pressure, such as apredetermined cracking pressure. The sleeve 674 is anchored by the firstinsulator 618 against axial displacement and confined to the diametricalspace within the second insulator 620 (FIG. 6A). When the predeterminedpressure is reached, the elastomeric sleeve 674 can deform or expand toallow fuel to exit from the fuel cavity 670 in the injection tip 621 viathe fuel delivery passageways 672. Accordingly, the elastomeric sleeve674 provides additional fuel metering features that can be controlled bythe pressure of the fuel in the injector 600, and thereby prevent fuelfrom inadvertently passing into the combustion chamber between intendedcombustion events.

The sleeve 674 can be made from several different suitable polymers, asreflected in Table 1 below. For example, the sleeve 674 may be made fromnumerous suitable polymers including popular elastomers because the fuelthat passes intimately along the inside of the sleeve 674 it cool andviable as a long-life elastomeric material. Extremely long life andrugged heat resistant embodiments of the sleeve 674 can be made byweaving a hollow tube of PBO or Kapton fibers over a more elastomericfilm tube of Viton, fluorosilicone, PEN, Aramid and/or Kapton.Additional protection may be provided by coating the assembly with oneor more thin layers of reflective aluminum or chromium.

TABLE 1 SELECTED POLYMER CHARCTERISTICS Film Characteristic PBO KAPTONARAMID PEN Melt Temperature ° C. None None None 272 Glass Transition °C. None 350 280 113 Young's Modulus 4900 300 1000-2000 650-1400 Kg/mm²Tensile Strength Kg/mm² 56-63 18 50 30 Tensile Elongation % 1-2 70 60 95Long Term Heat Stability >300 230 180 155 Thermal Exp. ppm/° C. −2 20 1513 Moisture Absorption % 0.8 2.9 1.5 0.4 PBO = Polybenzolxazole Kapton =Poly(4,4′-oxydiphenylene-pyromellitimide) Aramid = poly-metaphenyleneisophtalamides (MPIA) PEN = Polyethylene Naphthalate

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional side view of an injector 700 configured inaccordance with another embodiment of the disclosure. The injector 700illustrated in FIG. 7A includes several features that are generallysimilar in structure and function to the corresponding features of theinjectors described herein and in the patents and patent applicationsincorporated herein by reference. As such, several features of theinjector 700 that have been described above may not be described withreference to FIG. 7A. In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 700includes a first or base portion 702 opposite a second or nozzle portion704. The base portion 702 includes a pressure fitting 706 configured tobe coupled to a fuel source, such as a pressurized fuel source, tointroduce fuel into an initial fuel chamber or channel 708. Fuel travelsfrom the initial fuel channel 708 through the base portion 702 to a fuelpassageway 710 extending longitudinally though the injector 700 to thenozzle portion 704. An outwardly opening flow valve 712 is positioned atthe nozzle portion 704 to meter or otherwise control the flow of thefuel from the fuel passageway 710 out of the nozzle portion 704. Forexample, the flow valve 712 can be seated against a valve seat to blockor close the fuel flow, and the flow valve 712 can move away from thevalve seat to inject fuel into a combustion chamber. A cable assembly oractuator 714 is operably coupled to the flow valve 712 to move the flowvalve 712. The actuator 714 can be a stiffened rod or similar devicethat can house one or more optically monitoring features as described indetail above. The actuator 714 can also be coupled to a computer orother processing device for control of the injector 700.

In the illustrated embodiment, an actuator tensioner or actuator stop716 is attached or otherwise coupled to the actuator 714 at the baseportion 702 of the injector 700. The stop 716 is configured to contact aplunger or driver 718 so that the driver 718 can move the actuator 714to in turn open or close the flow valve 712. The driver 718 can be madeof a ferromagnetic material and is configured to be mechanically,electromechanically, and/or magnetically actuated to move the actuator714. More specifically, the driver 718 is positioned in a driver cavity720 in the base portion 702. A first contact surface of the driver 718is spaced apart from an electromagnetic pole piece 726 by a firstdistance D₁, and a second contact surface of the driver 718 is spacedapart from the actuator stop 716 by a second distance D₂ that is lessthan the first distance D₁.

A force generator 720, such as a solenoid winding, surrounds the driver718 in the driver cavity 720. Moreover, the driver 718 is alsopositioned proximate to a first biasing member 722, a second biasingmember 724, and the electromagnetic pole piece 726 in the driver cavity720. The first biasing member 722 can be a compression spring that iscoaxially positioned around the actuator 714 and that contacts theactuator stop 716 and the pole piece 726. As such, the first biasingmember 722 urges the actuator stop 716 away from the pole piece 726(e.g., towards the base portion) to tension the actuator 714 to retainthe flow valve 712 in a normally closed position. The second biasingmember 724 is positioned between the driver 718 and the pole piece 726.In the illustrated embodiment, the second biasing member 724 is a diskspring and the pole piece 726 can be an electromagnetic pole thatattracts the driver 718. The second biasing member 724 can be made froma non-magnetic material, such as a non-magnetic alloy. As such, thesecond biasing member 724 can act as a compression spring to urge thedriver 718 away from the pole piece 726. The second biasing member 724also provides a sufficient non-magnetic gap between the driver 718 andthe pole piece 726 to prevent the driver 718 from sticking to the polepiece 726. In the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 702 furtherincludes a third biasing member or attractive element 730, such as amagnet, that attracts the driver 718 towards the base portion 702.

In operation, administering current or other energy to the forcegenerator 728 opens the flow valve 712. More specifically, administeringcurrent to the force generator 728 forces the driver 718 towards thepole piece 726. As the driver 718 moves the second distance D₂ towardsthe actuator tensioner or stop 716, the driver 718 gains momentum andassociated kinetic energy before striking or contacting the actuatorstop 716. Moving the actuator stop 716 towards the pole piece 726 by thefirst distance D₁ relaxes the tension in the actuator 714 to allow theflow valve 712 to open. As the driver 718 moves towards the pole piece726, the driver 718 compresses the first biasing member 722 and thesecond biasing member 724. As such, the first biasing member 722, thesecond biasing member 724, and the attraction element 730 can urge thedriver 718 towards the base portion 702 to allow the actuator stop 716to tension the actuator 714 and close the flow valve 712. Moreover, whenthe driver 718 is pulsed towards the pole piece 726, energy can beapplied in the force generator 728 to produce pulsed current accordingto a selected “hold” frequency to pulse or otherwise actuate the driver718.

FIG. 7B is an enlarged cross-sectional side partial view of a valveassembly of the nozzle portion 704 of the injector 700 of FIG. 7A, andFIG. 7C is a side view of a valve guide 740 of the valve assembly 742.Referring to FIGS. 7B and 7C together, the nozzle portion 704 includesan insulator 748 having a fuel passageway or channel 746 extendinglongitudinally therethrough. The insulator 748 also includes a valveseat 746 that contacts the valve 712 when the valve 712 is in the closedposition. In certain embodiments, the flow valve 712 can be made of anysuitable material and include surface characterization having aprecision polished metal surface or an insert made of Viton, THV,fluorosilicone or another suitable elastomer. The valve assembly 742also includes a tubular valve support 744 extending coaxially throughthe fuel passageway 746 of the nozzle portion 704. The tubular valvesupport 744 is also coaxially aligned and coupled to an end portion ofthe actuator 714. The tubular valve support 744 further carries thevalve 712 and accordingly couples the valve 712 to the actuator 714. Thetubular valve support 744 moves longitudinally through the valve guide740 to freely shuttle and support the valve 712 within the valve guide740 as the valve 712 rapidly moves towards and away from the valve seat746.

In the illustrated embodiment, the valve guide 740 is a spirally woundwire forming one or more spiral diameters corresponding to the innerdiameter of the fuel passageway 746 at the nozzle portion 704. In theillustrated embodiment, for example, the valve guide 740 has a firstportion 750 having a first diameter D₁ corresponding to an outerdiameter of the tubular valve support 744, a second portion 752 having asecond diameter D₂ greater than the first diameter D₁ corresponding to afirst portion 760 of the fuel passageway 746, and a third portion 754having a third diameter D₃ greater than the first diameter D₁ and lessthan the second diameter D₂ and corresponding to a second portion 762 ofthe fuel passageway 746. Portions of the valve guide 740 having thefirst diameter D₁ can be discrete segments of the valve guide 740 orotherwise be spaced apart from the other portions of the valve guide 740having the second and/or third diameters D₂, D₃. As such, the firstportion of the valve guide 740 with the first diameter D₁ supports thetubular support 746, the second portion of the valve guide 740 with thesecond diameter D₂ retains the valve guide 740 and/or prevents the valveguide 740 from moving longitudinally out of the nozzle portion 702, andthe third portion of the valve guide 740 with the third diameter D₃positions the valve guide 740 in the fuel passageway 746. In operation,the valve guide 740 supports and dampens the tubular valve support 744as the tubular valve support 744 moves during rapid actuation of theflow valve 712.

In further embodiments of the disclosure, the injector 700 can includesimilar spirally wound support guides forming two or more differentdiameters for supporting other injector components. For example, asimilar spirally wound support guide can support, align, and/or dampenthe actuator 714 of FIG. 7A. In modern diesel engines, for instance, andparticularly for large stationary engines, the distance of the actuator714 between the driver 718 and the engine head may be approximately12-24 inches or more.

FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional side view of the actuator 714 takensubstantially along the lines 7D-7D of FIG. 7A illustrating features ofthe actuator in embodiments where the actuator includes one or moreoptical fibers that link to a computer or processor to providecombustion chamber data (e.g., pressure, temperature, etc.). As shown inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7D, the actuator 714 can consist of acore of optical fibers 770, which may be surrounded by a layer ofelectrically conductive wires or fibers 772 to deliver ignition voltageto the conductive portions of the flow valve 712 (FIG. 7A-7C). Theoptical fibers 770 can be made from at least any of the followingmaterials: sapphire, quartz, aluminum fluoride, and/or ZABLAN to conveycombustion chamber properties. In certain embodiments, the individualfibers can have a cross-sectional dimension (e.g., a diameter) of atleast approximately 5 μm, or less. Moreover, cooling by the fuel flowingby the actuator 714 enables these fibers to remain essentially inert tothe environment. By way of example, sapphire has high internaltransmittance from approximately 150 nm to 6000 nm in the range from thefar UV to the middle infrared. Although the cooling derived from passingfuel prevents excessive heating of the fiber optics, sapphirenevertheless maintains its structural integrity up to approximately 1600to 1700 degrees Celsius, and melts above approximately 2000 degreesCelsius. The actuator 714 can also include another layer of braided highstrength fibers made of polyimide, such as Kevlar or other high strengthfibers to surround the inner layers. The actuator 714 can furtherinclude a friction reducing outer sheath 774, which can be made ofsuitable friction reducing materials, such as PTFE of THV tubing, forexample.

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional side view of an injector 800 configured inaccordance with yet another embodiment of the disclosure. The embodimentillustrated in FIG. 8A includes several features that are generallysimilar in structure and function to the corresponding features of thefuel injectors described above. For example, the injector 800 includes abase portion 802 opposite a nozzle portion 804. At the base portion 802,the injector 800 includes a force generator 828 (e.g., a solenoidwinding, piezoelectric, etc.) configured to activate or move a plungeror driver 818. The driver 818 can be a ferromagnetic or ferroelectriccomponent 818 that moves in response to current flowing through theforce generator 828. The base portion 802 further includes anelectromagnetic pole piece 826, as well as a biasing member orattractive element 830, such as a magnet or permanent magnet thatattracts the driver 818 towards the base portion 802 to a closed orstopped position. The pole piece 826 includes a fuel bore or cavity 870aligned with a fuel passageway 810 extending longitudinally through theinjector 800. An actuator 814 extends through the fuel cavity 870 andfuel passage way 810 and is coupled to an outwardly opening flow valve812 at the nozzle portion 804.

In the illustrated embodiment in the base portion 802, the actuator 814is coupled to an actuator or motion stop 816. The actuator 814 is alsocoupled to a valve tensioner or actuator tensioner 880 (e.g., theactuator 814 can be attached to the actuator tensioner 880 or movablyreceived through a central opening in the actuator tensioner 880). Theactuator tensioner 880 is configured to contact the motion stop 816 totension the actuator 814 to retain the flow valve 812 in a closedposition. More specifically, the actuator tensioner 880 is positionedbetween and spaced apart from each of the driver 818 and the pole piece826. The stop 816 is positioned between the driver 818 and the actuatortensioner 880. A biasing member 822 (e.g., a coil or compression spring)urges the actuator tensioner 880 against the motion stop 816 towards thebase portion 802 and away from the nozzle portion 804. As such, thebiasing member 822 contacts the actuator tensioner 880 to tension theactuator 814 to retain the valve 812 in the closed position.

When the flow valve 812 is in the normally closed position and thebiasing member 822 urges the actuator tensioner 880 against the motionstop 816, the actuator tensioner 880 is spaced apart from the driver 818by a gap, and the actuator tensioner 880 is also spaced apart from thepole piece 826 by a gap. As such, the biasing member 822 preloads theactuator 814 by pressing the actuator tensioner 880 against the motionstop 816. To open the flow valve 812 during operation, a current isapplied to the force generator 828 to move the driver 818 towards theactuator tensioner 880. Because the driver 818 is initially spaced apartfrom the actuator tensioner 880, the driver 818 is able to gain momentumand associated kinetic energy prior to contacting the actuator tensioner880. As the driver 818 contacts the actuator tensioner 880, the driver818 moves the actuator tensioner 880 towards the nozzle portion 804 tocompress the biasing member 822. As the actuator tensioner 880 andcorresponding motion stop 816 move towards the pole piece 826 and theactuator tensioner contacts the pole piece 826, the tension in theactuator 814 relaxes to rapidly open the flow valve 812 at pressures upto at least approximately 1500 atmospheres and to inject fuel into thecombustion chamber. At the end of the desired fuel injection period, thesolenoid current in the force generator 828 is stopped or momentarilyreversed, and the biasing member 822 thrusts the actuator tensioner 880back to the normally closed position spaced apart from each of the polepiece 826 and the driver 818. The driver 818 also moves to its normallyclosed position to be adjacent to the magnet 830 and spaced apart fromthe actuator tensioner 880.

In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to reduce the impact shockas the driver 818 strikes the actuator tensioner 880. In suchembodiments, the injector 800 can include a biasing member or impactreducer 882 adjacent to the actuator tensioner 880 and facing the driver818. The impact reducer 882 can be, for example, a caged urethane diskspring, or one or more Bellville washers or coned-disk springs.Moreover, in this instance it is possible to further reduce the shock byproviding a diametrical step down or diameter reduction of thecylindrical bearing 803 that houses the driver 818 and the actuatortensioner 880. More specifically, the bearing 803 can have a firstdiameter in the zone where actuator tensioner 880 travels, and a secondsmaller inside diameter in the zone where the driver 818 travels.Therefore, as the actuator tensioner 880 is thrust against thediametrical stop, the impact reducer 882 provides a reduced accelerationof the actuator 814 to the equilibrium position for normally closeddwell time between fuel injection cycles.

FIG. 8B is a front plan view of the actuator tensioner 880 of FIG. 8A.As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8B, the actuatortensioner 880 can have a disc-like configuration including a centralactuator opening 884 extending therethrough that movably receives theactuator 814. The actuator tensioner 880 also includes several fuelopenings 886 that are configured to allow the fuel to flow through theactuator tensioner 880. Although the illustrated embodiment includes sixfuel openings 886 spaced equally apart and radiating from the actuatoropening 884, in other embodiments the actuator tensioner 880 can includegreater than or less than six fuel openings 886 arranged in symmetricalor nonsymmetrical patterns.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional side partial view of a valve actuatingassembly for an injector configured in accordance with anotherembodiment of the disclosure and particularly suited to achieve superiorcontrol and adaptability for high pressure fuels. FIG. 9B is an enlargeddetail view of a portion of the assembly of FIG. 9A. Referring to FIGS.9A and 9B together, the assembly 901 includes several features that aregenerally similar in structure and function to the correspondingfeatures of the injector 800 described above with reference to FIGS. 8Aand 8B, as well as to the other injectors disclosed herein. For example,in the illustrated embodiment the assembly 901 includes an actuator 914operably coupled to a flow valve 912 at a nozzle portion 904 of aninjector. The actuator 914 is also coupled to an actuator stop 916,which in turn contacts an actuator tensioner 980. As shown in FIG. 9B,the actuator stop 916 can be an enlarged portion attached or integrallyformed with the actuator 914 having a larger cross-sectional dimensionthan a corresponding cross-sectional dimension of the actuator 914. Abiasing member 922, such as a compression spring, urges the actuatortensioner 980 against the motion stop 916 and away from a pole piece 926to tension the actuator 916 and close the flow valve 916 or otherwiseretain the flow valve 916 in a closed position. The assembly 901 furtherincludes a driver 918 that can be driven by a force generator (notshown). The driver 918 is spaced apart from the actuator tensioner 980and positioned adjacent to a biasing member 930, such as a magnet whenthe driver 918 is not activated and the flow valve 1612 is in a closedposition. As such, the actuator tensioner 980 is spaced apart from eachof the driver 918 and the pole piece 926 when the valve 912 is in aclosed position.

According to further features of the illustrated embodiment, theactuator tensioner 980 has a generally cylindrical shape that isconfigured to fit within each of the driver 918 and the pole piece 926during actuation of the assembly 901. More specifically, the driver 918includes an end portion 919 having a generally tapered, conical, orfrustoconical shape that is at least partially received within acorresponding tapered, conical, or frustoconical opening in an endportion 929 of the pole piece 926. The driver 918 further includes agenerally cylindrical cavity 921 in the end portion 919. The cylindricalcavity 921 is sized to receive the actuator tensioner 980 duringactuation. Moreover, the end portion 929 of the pole piece 926 alsoincludes a generally cylindrical cavity 931 that is configured toreceive the actuator tensioner 980. As such, during operation to openthe outwardly opening flow valve 912, the driver 918 is actuated to gainmomentum prior to striking the actuator tensioner 980. After strikingthe actuator tensioner 980, the driver 918 moves the actuator tensioner980 and compresses the spring 922 to move the actuator tensioner 980towards the pole piece 926 and release the tension in the actuator 914to open the valve 912. At the end of the desired fuel injection period,the solenoid current in the force generator is stopped or momentarilyreversed so that the driver 918 no longer exerts a force against theactuator tensioner 980. As such, the biasing member 922 thrusts theactuator tensioner 980 back to the normally closed position which isspaced apart from each of the pole piece 926 and the driver 918. Thedriver 918 also moves to its normally closed position to be adjacent tothe magnet 930 and spaced apart from the actuator tensioner 980.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the scope of the disclosure. Unless the contextclearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims,the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed inan inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; thatis to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words usingthe singular or plural number also include the plural or singularnumber, respectively. When the claims use the word “or” in reference toa list of two or more items, that word covers all of the followinginterpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of theitems in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

Features of the various embodiments described above can be combined toprovide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patentapplication publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents,foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to inthis specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet areincorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of thedisclosure can be modified, if necessary, to employ fuel injectors andignition devices with various configurations, and concepts of thevarious patents, applications, and publications to provide yet furtherembodiments of the disclosure.

These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of theabove-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, theterms used should not be construed to limit the disclosure to thespecific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, butshould be construed to include all systems and methods that operate inaccordance with the claims. Accordingly, the invention is not limited bythe disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined broadly by thefollowing claims.

1. A fuel injector configured to inject fuel into a combustion chamber,the fuel injector comprising: a body having a base portion opposite anozzle portion, wherein the base portion is configured to receive thefuel into the body and the nozzle portion is configured to be positionedadjacent to the combustion chamber; a valve carried by the nozzleportion, wherein the valve is movable between a closed position and anopen position to inject the fuel into the combustion chamber; anactuator coupled to the valve and extending longitudinally through thebody towards the base portion; and a driver carried by the body andmovable between a first position and a second position, the driverincluding one or more non-centrally positioned longitudinally extendingfuel cavities and a plurality of ridges on an exterior surface to allowfuel to flow through and around the driver, wherein in the firstposition the driver is spaced apart from the actuator and in the secondposition the driver moves the actuator to move the valve to the openposition.
 2. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein the actuator furthercomprises a stop, and wherein the driver contacts the stop when thedriver moves the actuator.
 3. The fuel injector of claim 1 whereindriver includes a central cavity extending longitudinally therethrough,and wherein the actuator is movably positioned in the cavity.
 4. Thefuel injector of claim 3 wherein the fuel flows through the cavity inthe driver as the fuel passes through the injector.
 5. The fuel injectorof claim 1, further comprising a biasing member carried by the baseportion of the body, wherein the biasing member urges the driver towardsthe first position.
 6. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein when thedriver is in the first position the driver contacts and at leastpartially retains the valve in the closed position.
 7. The fuel injectorof claim 1, further comprising a force generator operably coupled to acontroller, wherein the force generator induces the movement of thedriver between the first and second positions to achieve desired fueldistribution via the valve.
 8. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein thedriver at least partially gains momentum prior to contacting theactuator to move the valve to the open position.
 9. The fuel injector ofclaim 1 wherein the actuator extends through the body coaxially withinthe driver.
 10. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein the actuatorincludes one or more monitoring fibers extending therethrough andoperably coupled to the valve, wherein the one or more monitoring fibersare configured to detect one or more combustion chamber properties andtransmit the one or more combustion chamber properties to a controller.11. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein the driver moves away from thenozzle portion when the driver moves from the first position to thesecond position.
 12. The fuel injector of claim 1, further comprising abiasing member carried by the base portion of the body, wherein thebiasing member urges the driver towards the nozzle portion.
 13. The fuelinjector of claim 1, further comprising an attractive element carried bythe nozzle portion, wherein the attractive element at least partiallyretains the driver in the first position.
 14. The fuel injector of claim1 wherein the driver moves towards the nozzle portion when the drivermoves from the first position to the second position.
 15. The fuelinjector of claim 1 wherein the actuator includes a stop, and whereinthe fuel injector further comprises: an actuator tensioner configured tocontact the stop; and a biasing member urging the actuator tensioneraway from the nozzle portion to provide tension in the actuator and atleast partially retain the valve in the closed position, wherein thedriver contacts the actuator tensioner when the driver moves from thefirst position to the second position to at least partially relieve thetension in the actuator to move the valve to the open position.
 16. Thefuel injector of claim 15 wherein the driver is spaced apart from theactuator tensioner when the driver is in the first position.
 17. A fuelinjector configured to inject fuel into a combustion chamber, the fuelinjector comprising: a body having a base portion opposite a nozzleportion, wherein the base portion is configured to receive the fuel intothe body and the nozzle portion is configured to be positioned adjacentto the combustion chamber; a valve at the nozzle portion, wherein thevalve is movable between a closed position and an open position; anactuator having a first end coupled to the valve and a second endportion opposite the first end portion, wherein the second end portionhas a stop; a driver positioned in the body and movable between firstand second positions, the driver including one or more non-centrallypositioned longitudinally extending fuel passageways, wherein in thefirst position the driver is spaced apart from the stop and in thesecond position the driver contacts the stop to move the actuatoraxially away from the nozzle portion to move the valve to the openposition.
 18. The fuel injector of claim 17, further comprising abiasing member carried by the base portion of the body, wherein thebiasing member urges the driver towards the nozzle portion and at leastpartially retains the driver in the first position.
 19. The fuelinjector of claim 17 wherein the driver includes a first end portionopposite a second end portion, wherein the first end portion contactsthe valve when the driver is in the first position to at least partiallyretain the valve in the closed position, and wherein the second endportion contacts the stop of the actuator to move the valve to the openposition.
 20. The fuel injector of claim 19 wherein the second endportion of the driver has a generally conical or frustoconical shape.21. The fuel injector of claim 17 wherein the driver includes anactuator opening extending longitudinally through a central portion ofthe driver, wherein the actuator extends through the actuator opening,and wherein the driver is independently movable from the actuator. 22.The fuel injector of claim 21 wherein the driver further includes a fuelpassageway spaced radially apart from the actuator opening and extendinglongitudinally through the driver, wherein the fuel passageway isconfigured to allow fuel to flow through the driver.
 23. The fuelinjector of claim 17 further comprising a magnet carried by the nozzleportion, wherein the magnet attracts the driver towards the nozzleportion to at least partially retain the driver in second position. 24.The fuel injector of claim 17 further comprising a force generatorcarried by the body, wherein the force generator is configured to createan electromagnetic force or piezoelectric force to move the driver. 25.The fuel injector of claim 17 wherein the driver moves a first distancebefore contacting the stop when moving away from the first position, andwherein the driver moves a second distance that is greater than thefirst distance when moving away from the first position to move thevalve to the open position.
 26. The fuel injector of claim 25 whereinthe first distance is at least approximately 10-40% of the seconddistance.
 27. A fuel injector configured to inject fuel into acombustion chamber, the fuel injector comprising: a first insulator bodyhaving a first end portion opposite a second end portion and a firstfuel passageway extending from the first end portion to the second endportion; a second insulator body having an opening extendinglongitudinally therethrough, wherein the second end portion of the firstinsulator body is positioned in the opening of the second insulatorbody; a conductor positioned between the second insulator body and thesecond end portion of the first insulator body, wherein the conductor isconfigured to be coupled to an energy source; a conductive nozzleinjection tip coupled to the conductor, wherein the nozzle injection tipincludes a second fuel passageway fluidly coupled to the first fluidpassageway, and wherein the nozzle injection tip is carried by thesecond end portion of the first insulator body and extends through aportion of the second insulator body; a valve carried by the first endportion of the first insulator body, wherein the valve is movablebetween a closed position and an open position relative to the firstfuel passageway; and a driver movably positioned in the first endportion of the first insulator body, the driver including one or morenon-centrally positioned longitudinally extending fuel passageways andwherein the driver is configured to move the valve between the open andclosed positions.
 28. The fuel injector of claim 27 wherein the secondend portion of the first of first insulator has a generally conical orfrustoconical shape.
 29. The fuel injector of claim 27 wherein theconductor is spirally wound around the second end portion of the firstinsulator body.
 30. The fuel injector of claim 27 wherein the opening inthe second insulator body has a first opening portion extending awayfrom a second opening portion, the first opening portion having agenerally conical or frustoconical shape narrowly tapering towards thenozzle injection tip, and the second opening portion having a generallyconical or frustoconical shape narrowly tapering in an oppositedirection from the first opening portion.
 31. The fuel injector of claim27, further comprising a conductive band coupled to an exteriorinterface between the first insulator body and the second insulatorbody, wherein the conductive band is coupled to the conductor andconfigured to be coupled to an ignition energy source.
 32. The fuelinjector of claim 27, further comprising: a biasing member positioned inthe first end portion of the first insulator body adjacent to thedriver, wherein the biasing member is configured to urge the drivertowards the second end portion of the first insulator body to at leastpartially retain the valve in the closed position; and a force generatorpositioned in the first end portion of the first insulator body, whereinthe force generator is configured to induce the movement of the driverto move the valve between the open and closed positions.
 33. The fuelinjector of claim 27, further comprising an elastically deformable sealcovering at least a portion of the nozzle injection tip, wherein thedeformable seal is configured to at least partially elastically deformto allow the fuel to exit the nozzle injection tip in response to apredetermined fuel pressure gradient in the injector.
 34. The fuelinjector of claim 27 wherein the nozzle injection tip further comprisesa plurality of fuel delivery passageways fluidly coupled to the secondfluid passageway, wherein individual fuel delivery passages extend awayfrom the second fluid passageway at an inclined angle with reference toa longitudinal axis of the nozzle tip portion.
 35. The fuel injector ofclaim 34, further comprising a deformable seal at least partiallycovering the plurality of fuel delivery passageways.
 36. The fuelinjector of claim 27 further comprising a metallic combustion chamberseal coupled to the second insulator body and configured to threadablyengage an engine component, wherein the combustion chamber seal carriesone or more ignition features that are configured to generate ignitionevents with the nozzle tip portion.
 37. A fuel injector configured toinject fuel into a combustion chamber, the fuel injector comprising: abody having a base portion opposite a nozzle portion; a valve carried bythe nozzle portion and movable between open and closed positions; anactuator having a first end portion operably coupled to the valve and asecond end portion opposite the first end portion, wherein the actuatorincludes an actuator stop at the second end portion; a driver movablycarried by the base portion and positioned between the actuator stop andthe valve, the driver including one or more non-centrally positionedlongitudinally extending fuel passageways configured to allow the fuelto flow through the driver wherein the driver is formed from an at leastpartially magnetic material; an electromagnetic pole element carried bythe base portion and positioned between the driver and the valve; and abiasing member extending between the driver and the pole element,wherein the biasing member urges the driver away from the pole elementto contact the actuator stop and tension the actuator to at leastpartially retain the valve in the closed position, and wherein thedriver moves towards the pole element and at least partially compressesthe biasing member to at least partially relieve tension in the actuatorto allow the valve to move to the open position.
 38. The fuel injectorof claim 37 wherein the biasing member is a first biasing member andwherein the fuel injector further includes a second biasing memberpositioned between the driver and the pole element, and wherein thedriver at least partially compresses the second biasing member when thedriver moves towards pole element.
 39. The fuel injector of claim 38wherein the first biasing member is a coiled compression spring andwherein the second biasing member is a disk spring.
 40. The fuelinjector of claim 38 wherein the second biasing member is made from anon-magnetic material.
 41. The fuel injector of claim 37, furthercomprising a fuel passageway extending longitudinally through the body,wherein the fuel passageway extends longitudinally through the driverand the pole element.
 42. The fuel injector of claim 37 wherein thevalve moves outwardly away from the nozzle portion when the valve movesto the open position.
 43. A fuel injector configured to inject fuel intoa combustion chamber, the fuel injector comprising: a body having a baseportion opposite a nozzle portion; a valve carried by the nozzle portionand movable between open and closed positions; an actuator extendingthrough the body, wherein the actuator is coupled to the valve andincludes an actuator stop spaced apart from the valve; an actuatortensioner having a first side configured to contact the actuator stopand a second side opposite the first side; a biasing member positionedbetween the valve and the actuator tensioner, wherein the biasing membercontacts the second side of the actuator tensioner and urges theactuator tensioner towards the base portion to tension the actuator andat least partially retain the valve in the closed position; a drivercarried by the base portion adjacent to the first side of the actuatortensioner, the driver including one or more non-centrally positionedlongitudinally extending fuel passageways configured to allow the fuelto flow through the driver, wherein the driver is movable between afirst position and a second position, and wherein in the first positionthe driver is spaced apart from the actuator tensioner and in the secondposition the driver contacts the second side of the actuator tensionerto relieve tension in the actuator and allow the valve to move to theopen position.
 44. The fuel injector of claim 43 wherein the drivergains momentum prior to contacting the second side of the actuatortensioner as the driver moves from the first position to the secondposition.
 45. The fuel injector of claim 43, further comprising a magnetcarried by the base portion, wherein the magnet attracts the driver andat least partially retains the driver in the first position.
 46. Thefuel injector of claim 43 wherein the actuator tensioner includes acentral actuator opening and one or more fuel openings spaced radiallyoutwardly from the actuator opening, wherein the actuator extendsthrough the actuator opening, and wherein the fuel openings areconfigured to allow the fuel to flow through the actuator tensioner. 47.The fuel injector of claim 43, further comprising a force generatorcarried by the base portion, wherein the force generator induces themovement of the driver between the first and second positions.